A Warlock's Heart
by WhiteKingdomAngel
Summary: The others have noticed Merlin acting down lately and try to figure out why. But when he suddenly announces he is to marry, secrets will be discovered and they will see a different side of Merlin. Will he get his happily ever after or perish trying?
1. Chapter 1

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing_**

_Me: *waves and smiles* Here you go my dears! And brand new story to devour! My Beta is back to the states and is ready to go and I have this allllllll planed out!_

_*clasp hands and rubs them together eagerly* Oh, the universe has been WAITING for this!_

_Me: *glares at subjects* But just bear in mind, if something seems off, it's off FOR A REASON! I don't want anyone to tell me that Gwaine or Merlin is out of character! There is a method to my madness. My faithful knights can attest to that._

_Me: *grins once again and brings forth new subject* My people, I just want to acknowledge **JaydeRayne **for the incredible display of love she did by commenting on each and EVERY single one of my chapters in my 'Merlin' Fiction! *gives you giant hug*_

_*turns to her side* And **Yuki082**, concerning your request, if there are none of my subjects who wish to challenge you for the title of court sorceress then you are by all means welcome to my court!_

_Me: *to everyone* Well enough with this! Enjoy_!

* * *

><p>Bleary eyes fluttered open as the morning rays struck alabaster skin. Tired azure eyes gazed up into the ceiling as he let himself sigh. Standing upward from his bed, his back creaking in protest, he lets his gaze roam the entirety of his room. Random vials filled with all sorts of mixtures could be seen scattered throughout his room. Random items of clothing lay discarded in corners and, oddly enough, on top of the dresser. When he walked towards his small window, he could see that it was barely the break of dawn; no one was truly awake at this hour, so you could watch the waking of Camelot's streets. But he couldn't fully revel in the peacefulness the quiet streets provided. Almost in automatic, he began to dress for the day ahead, and he busied himself preparing some of the tinctures that Gaius was beginning to run out of. He felt numb; while his body worked silently and mechanically, his thoughts were focused on the weight of this specific date.<p>

Soon, under the buzzing of his thoughts, he heard his guardian finally awakened, and he took this as his cue. Setting the finished potions on his table, he started to pick up his red neckerchief, but his eyes alighted on a scrap of black fabric off to the side instead. A small, bittersweet smile appeared on his face before he decided to take the fabric and tie it around his wrist, his tan jacket more than capable of concealing it. Deeming himself ready, he walked towards his door and took a deep, cleansing breath before turning the handle and stepping into the room. Merlin noticed Gaius's head snap towards him as he eyed his charge with a look between surprise and confusion.

"You're awfully early today, Merlin." A smile that simply didn't reach his ward's eyes was the only answer he received as Merlin sat down on a nearby chair.

"Are you alright?" Gaius noticed how the usual cheerful energy that Merlin seemed to always emit was almost nonexistent; his eyes carried dark bags beneath them, as if he hadn't slept, and the usual glint of mischief was nowhere to be seen, having been replaced by a look of pure desolation. Immediately, Gaius managed to figure out what was wrong with the younger man before him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Merlin's head turned toward his guardian as he noticed the look of recognition in his eyes.

"It's today, isn't it…?" Merlin simply closed his eyes and turned to stare at the table, not truly seeing anything while his hands began to fidget. Sighing, Gaius sat down and placed an aged hand on top of his to stop them from moving

"I could talk to Arthur; maybe tell him you'll be working for me today." Gaius saw him smile slightly as he turned towards him shaking his head in response.

"No," Merlin said gently. "I'll prefer to be busy today, and Arthur is sure to have a hefty list of chores for me already planned out." His gaze soon broke away from Gaius's concerned eyes and gazed at the blue sky outside. "Once I finish, I'll go to the lake. Probably won't return until late."

Gaius simply nodded in understanding as he stood up from his seat. "Then you best eat a large breakfast," he stated as he began to think of something to give his charge. Gaius knew that Merlin would no doubt be coming home long after he fell asleep, and Merlin would no doubt only eat some small fruit for lunch. After the reclaiming of Camelot, and with Arthur having to take more of his father's duties, Arthur has been giving Merlin even more chores than usual. But Merlin understood. He was glad to help his friend as he took more and more the reign of his destiny; after all, Merlin had spilled precious blood to keep Arthur alive in order for him to do so. But Gaius knew better than anyone that his young charge had faced many evils and had lost some of the most important people in his life. But he had to keep his façade of bumbling fool around everyone in Camelot, especially around Arthur to avoid suspicion, meaning that he had never had a chance to properly and openly mourn for those dear to him. And the fact that today was the anniversary of one of their deaths seemed to weigh heavily on Merlin's old soul. Seeing nothing else to do but showing he would be here for him, Gaius patted his shoulder in a fatherly gesture.

"I'm sorry, Merlin."

* * *

><p>"This is ridiculous!" Lancelot could help but sigh in exasperation as he continued to listen to Gwaine's rant. They were standing by one of the many windows inside the castle, staring out into the courtyard; the townspeople were busy finishing their daily work as the sun was beginning to set. The knights weren't focused on them, but rather on the lone, lanky figure that was finishing cleaning the stables. He and Gwaine had noticed that the young warlock had been acting unlike himself, which worried them a great deal.<p>

"Gwaine, calm yourself," Lancelot tried to get him to lower his volume, but it appears that Gwaine didn't care who heard them. He turned his glare toward the other knight in slight anger at his seemingly uncaring tone. Not realizing that a certain regent prince was just about to turn around the corner.

"**_Why_** won't he talk to us?" He demanded as Arthur stopped behind them, his eyes narrowed. "We're his friends, aren't we?"

At this, Arthur heard Lancelot sigh deeply before addressing the other man. "We can't force Merlin to tell us what's wrong with him." Gwaine felt his hands clutch his tunic suddenly at the helplessness he felt. He wanted to help Merlin as a good friend, but if he was honest, he truly didn't know what to do in these kinds of situations (Merlin was, after all, honestly his first friend). And although he wanted to follow Lancelot's advice, he felt like he had to do something.

A few paces from them, Arthur couldn't help the pang of worry at the mention of Merlin's name in this particular conversation. Straightening his shoulders, he immediately stepped over to them, determined to figure out what was going on. "What are you two going on about?"

Lancelot and Gwaine immediately turned to look at their prince. Ever the loyal and respectful knight, Lancelot immediately bowed briefly. "Sire." Arthur merely swatted the air at the formal use of his title by one of his knights, but was startled by Gwaine's outburst.

"Princess!" Gwaine greeted cheerfully, feeling a jolt of smugness at the look of irritation on Arthur's face as he heard the nickname, but he immediately remember the focus of their discussion and turned to glare at Lancelot with a victorious finger. "You'll see. He'll be on my side!" Lancelot simply turned to Arthur as he watched the prince cross his arms.

"Explain."

"Well, Sire, we were just worried about Merlin's demeanor this morning, and I was telling Gwaine not to try and force Merlin into telling him what's wrong." He heard Lancelot explain as Gwaine immediately interrupted him.

"Come **_on_**! He isn't his usual **_self_**!" He exclaimed as he pointed a finger in Arthur's direction. "**_You_** of all people should realize that. You're practically joined at the **_hip_**!"

"He has been unusually polite and submissive today…" Arthur uttered briefly as he began to remember the day's events. Instead of waking him up with the usual nonsensical, cheerful prattle he was accustomed to, Merlin let the sun wake him up. His usual breakfast, which always consisted of simple fruit and herbal tea, was filled with meats and breads, not to mentioned distilled cider. When he began to list the amount of chores that needed to be done, he only got a small nod in reply. Not to mention the fact that he had been calling Arthur 'Sire' all morning- this for some reason irked him to no end. But he knew something was wrong, not just because of those facts but by the cold pools of blue that had gazed at him the entire morning. Arthur hoped to never see that expression on Merlin's face again, but he broke from his recollection at Gwaine's shouting.

"**_See_**!" He exclaimed victoriously at Lancelot. "Something's not right!"

"But Lancelot is right," Arthur stated, gaining the two knights' attention. "If you try to force the answer out of him, he'll only become more secretive and close himself off from everyone." He remembered a few years back when he had poured water over him and how Merlin had behaved after that. He recalled that his servant had the same look about him as that time, and he immediately began to think if he had unconsciously treated him poorly as of late.

"What do you suggest we do then?"

Whatever Arthur was going to say next however, was stopped as Lancelot raised his voice as he gestured at the approaching man. "Merlin!" The other two immediately turned to stare at the man in question. Merlin had a few spots of dirt marring his attire as he smiled toward them. But the three could see that his smile didn't reach his eyes.

"Hello, Lancelot. Gwaine." At this, Merlin turned towards Arthur and gave him a brief bow, leaving the three stunned in shock. "I finished all the chores, Sire. What would you like me to do next?" The others noticed the small wince that Arthur gave at hearing Merlin talk so politely and submissively. Like all the other servants. It was then that Arthur's mind was made up.

"You're done for the day, Merlin." Merlin's eyes widened slightly hearing this. "You can take the rest of the day off."

Only a few seconds passed before the incredulity morphed into that of sheer relief as Merlin once again bowed to Arthur, and wasn't that just **_wrong_**? "Thank you, Sire."

Again, Arthur winced at the word as the trio watched the young man walking towards the physician's quarters. A few minutes of silence passed between the group, their worry increasing with each minute until Lancelot couldn't help himself anymore.

"Sire?"

Without turning around, Arthur began to dictate his orders. "I want you to follow him," he ordered, to which Gwaine grinned in victory and Lancelot simply closed his eyes unhappily, but still nodded in response. "He's not going to stay in his room. See where he's going and report to me what you find tonight." The two answered in choruses of 'Yes, Sire's as they passed the prince and began to follow their raven haired friend. Soon after, Arthur realized that Gwaine had answered the order with a Sire, and that fact alone sent shivers down Arthur's spine. Turning around, Arthur couldn't help but think,

"There better be something really wrong…"

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in the forest…<p>

"**_How_** is it that he can't be this sneaky and quiet when we're out hunting?" Gwaine hissed quietly as his eyes followed the retreating form of his friend. When Merlin arrived to his room, he and Lancelot simply had to wait a few minutes until the younger man headed outside the castle. Immediately following, the two discovered that Merlin was going somewhere inside the forest, a few hours away from Camelot. The sun had already set, giving way to the full moon in the cloudy sky. Now they thought they weren't going to have any trouble following their young friend, but as they began to learn, Merlin could be very sneaky when he wanted to. Gwaine simply grinned as another thought came to his head. "I bet he does it just to annoy our fearless leader!"

Lancelot heard his friend giggle slightly at the thought, but his mind was too preoccupied to truly laugh with him. Something had been nagging at his head ever since they entered the forest, but he couldn't understand what it was. "Maybe we shouldn't be doing this…" He muttered as he felt Gwaine stop and glare at him.

"Of **_course_** we should!" he exclaimed as he continued their path. "We have a duty as his friends to help. Don't you want to find out what is wrong with him?"

Lancelot immediately bristled at this and straightened slightly. "Of course."

"Besides, on the off chance that he is on one of his secret missions, don't you want to know where our secret warlock goes off in the middle of the night?" Gwaine asked nonchalantly as he turned to give him a mischievous grin. "Not to mention the fact that if he gets mad at us for following him we can tell him that we were under the princess's orders!"

Sighing once more, Lancelot had to remind himself that Gwaine knew of Merlin's secret. Having been cornered by a swarm of Cockatrices on one hunting trip, Merlin had killed the one who was about to kill Gwaine, not knowing that he was completely awake. The other simply grinned widely before passing out. It had been a long few days before Merlin had finally gotten him caught up in all of his adventures and on his reason for being in Camelot, and Lancelot swore that Gwaine's eyes seemed to shine in awe at the loyalty their friend seemed to have for the prince.

"While I admit I am somewhat curious about it, that gives us no right to abuse his confidence in us." Seeing the startled but confused look of his friend's face, Lancelot continued explaining, "Merlin has protected us and this kingdom from magic for so long without asking for either recognition or praise." He said stopping him in their tracks. "It's up to us to at least show him the respect he deserves. All we can do is remind him that we are here for him."

"And that's **_precisely_** what we are doing, mate! Now come on, he's getting away!" Dragging Lancelot forward, the two continued to make way towards their friend. Their little stop made them lose him for a while but fortunately for them, Merlin seemed to be getting sloppier in his trail. Unbeknownst to them, they were being followed by a familiar pair of blue eyes and blond hair.

A few minutes later, they found Merlin in front of a beautiful lake, the mountains in the distance and the gentle fog surrounding it gave it a sense of ethereal magic. Their friend was standing on the shores, his shoulders slightly hunched as he stood like a statue, not moving as he gazed upon the calm waters of the lake. Stepping closer, Gwaine unfortunately stepped on a branch, its snap loud enough to alert the young warlock to their presence. Shaking his head slightly, Arthur made a mental note to arrange for more hunting trips if his knights couldn't even sneak past his manservant.

Turning around, Merlin saw the two knights walking closer to him while Arthur opted to stay hidden within looking distance. "Gwaine? Lancelot?" Merlin asked in mild surprise. "What are you two doing here?"

"We could ask you the same question," Gwaine retorted easily, but the warlock took this with a different response.

"Did something happen back in Camelot? Is Arthur okay?" Merlin began asking frantically, hoping that nothing had happened to anyone while he took this time for himself.

The two knights, surprised at his reaction quickly explained. "Merlin calm down!" Lancelot exclaimed. "Everyone is fine!"

Hearing this, Merlin immediately calmed and faced them instead with a look of curiosity. "Oh. Then did you need me for anything?"

"Actually, we were worried about you." Lancelot answered kindly, leaving Merlin blinking in confusion as he twisted his head slightly.

"Me? Why?"

"You've been acting like a **_wraith_** all day!" Exclaimed Gwaine as he grasped Merlin's shoulders.

Slightly stunned, Merlin could only stare as Lancelot removed Gwaine gently while giving him an apologetic smile. "What he means to say, is that we've noticed you haven't been yourself today, and we were worried about you."

Immediately, Merlin understood what was happening and couldn't help but turn around and walk towards the shore once more. Arthur silently cursed the two of them for making Merlin feel such distress as his worry for the younger man increased tenfold.

Merlin had hoped that nobody could see his distress, today of all days. He didn't want to be a bother to anyone and simply wished to lick his wounds in peace, but it appeared that he wouldn't be able to do even that. Admittedly, he was grateful to not be all alone, and he felt a slight bout of warmth knowing how much they cared about him.

Silence reigned between the group as Gwaine approached his friend slightly but not near enough to break his personal space. "Why are you here, mate?" Merlin heard Gwaine ask gently and it was then he decided to trust them with this particular facet of his life. Crossing his arms in a failed attempt to bring some warmth to his bones, Merlin kept staring out into the lake as he began talking.

"A few years ago, I laid someone very dear to me to rest in this very lake." Paying no attention to the slight gasps behind him, he continued. "This is the first time Camelot has been safe enough for me to have the time to properly mourn her." At this, the group fell into a heavy silence, the two knights not knowing how to proceed. Off into the heavy bushes, Arthur wished that he was able to hear what the three of them were talking about. His knight's pallor had become almost ghostly at something that Merlin had said, and it took all of his restrain not to burst in on them and demand to know what was wrong with him.

Meanwhile Gwaine and Lancelot had thought that they'd always known how much risks Merlin took just by staying in Camelot, but they never realized how deep his difficulty was. He had lost people, people who were dear to him, and by the sound of how he was talking about this girl, she was something who Merlin worshiped with all his heart. Merlin told them that he was happy just making a difference in Camelot and being able of protecting everyone without any reward or acknowledgement, but they didn't realize that that meant he had to put off things that were important, that were a luxury to so many, just so he can be certain that everyone is safe. Now, years after he buried this girl was he finally allowing himself to properly mourn. Allowing himself to rest his soul and alleviate some of the heavy burden that his young shoulders must carry under the weight of his destiny.

"And we just barged in without a thought…" Merlin heard Lancelot mutter with shame laced in his voice, and he turned his head lightly to let them see a brief smile on his lips.

"No," he said gently. "I'm glad that more people know of her. She deserves to be remembered…" With this, his mind returned to the memories of those few days with her. Soon, he felt a hand grasping one of his shoulders in respect.

"We are sorry to have intruded on your time of mourning, my friend," he heard Gwaine say, his voice having a tone of seriousness that was almost alien to the boisterous knight. Soon after, his remaining shoulder was ensconced by another hand.

"We're sorry for your loss, Merlin. We'll leave you to your thoughts…" Feeling a small bout of warmth at their words, he felt their hands squeeze his shoulders gently before they began to walk away, leaving him once again to his thoughts.

Off to the side, Arthur could only stare at the back of his friend as his knights embraced him solemnly before walking away. What could be so wrong with Merlin that their attitude would change so drastically? Now he knew he had done the right thing in following his knights in search for the younger man. He felt the need to figure out what exactly was bothering Merlin, and from what he just saw, he didn't expect the two knights to just tell him outright what really happened. His blue eyes focused on the back of the tan jacket in front of him, could almost see the slight tremors that seemed to course through his slender frame, but Arthur hoped it was just because of the cold bout of air that seemed to fall upon the forest at that moment instead of him crying.

"… are we going to tell the princess?" Arthur's eyes widened exponentially as he heard the all too familiar nickname that Gwaine had given him. They couldn't see him spying on Merlin. The two held a loyalty to the clumsy idiot that left everyone baffled, and Arthur had no doubt that they would not see kindly to him spying on what appeared to be a private moment.

"We'll tell him the truth. Merlin just needs some time to-" Turning around, Arthur tried to hide somewhere close, but at that precise moment, and he would forever deny that something like this ever happened, his foot got caught up in one of the tree's roots and he essentially fell on his face.

"Gahg!" Hearing the startled scream, the two knights stopped immediately and approached the opening with caution.

"Who's there?" Lancelot demanded as they continued to approach. "Show yourself!" At this, Lancelot and Gwaine came to find the Prince of Camelot sprawled on the floor wincing in slight pain while rubbing his head.

"Arthur?"

"Uhm… What are you doing here, Sire?" asked Lancelot as he helped the young prince up to his feet. At the question, both knights were surprise to notice a slight hint of red creeping up into the royal's face.

"I... well… uhmm…." Noticing the smirk that was beginning to grow on Gwaine's face, Arthur immediately straightened his back and crossed his arms hoping to gain what little dignity he could. "I just wanted to make sure you two were actually doing what I told you to do instead of Gwaine going to the pub and dragging you with him!"

But no matter how much bite and venom he put into his words, Gwaine looked like the cat that just ate the canary and got away with it. He stepped in closer as he leaned slightly forward towards the prince. "Or maybe a certain Princess was worried about a certain someone and decided to find out for himself."

Arthur couldn't refute what he was saying, so instead he turned his glare towards Lancelot, hoping to veer the conversation away from him. "Did you find out what was wrong or not?"

Immediately, the two knights' moods changed back to the solemn stares he managed to catch while they were talking to Merlin. The two of them shared a questioning look before Lancelot stepped up to answer his question. "Merlin just needs time for himself today, Sire."

"But did he **_tell_** you what was wrong then?"

Again, the two seemed to have a silent conversation as they faced the prince; this time Gwaine was the one to answer. "It's a personal matter that you shouldn't force out of him."

"Look who's **_talking_**!" Arthur exclaimed incredulous at the fact that Gwaine was backing down from his previous view on the matter. Arthur's eyes narrowed as he stared down the two in front of him. They seemed saddened by something, and he was willing to bet that it had something to do with his manservant.

"Sire, please," Lancelot pleaded, hoping to make the royal see their reasoning without telling him what was going on. "Merlin will be back to his old self if you just leave him alone for today."

Arthur wanted to believe his knights, but something was still gnawing at his insides, forcing him to go to Merlin and make him talk to him so that he could try and console him from whatever problem he was facing. But watching the looks on his knights' faces, he knew that they possibly had more information of what was going on than him, so with a slight huff, he turned his body around.

"Fine." They heard him utter through clenched teeth. "Let's go." Taking a breath they didn't know they had been holding, Gwaine patted Lancelot's shoulder and gave him a small grin before following the prince back to Camelot with Lancelot close behind.

Meanwhile, back at the clearing, Merlin's slender figure could still be seen at the lake's shore. The wind had started to pick up, and the cold breeze penetrated him and sunk into his bones. Minutes passed before a single tear fell to the ground, merging with the gentle waves of the water. Soon, one became two as the young warlock's shoulders began to shake. Merlin felt his body fall to the ground as he kneeled down in pain. The memories of Freya were almost too painful to bear. Guilt threatened to grab a hold of his airway as he choked on the thought that it was his fault she was dead. He wanted to abandon everyone in Camelot, take her with him and never look back. But his destiny was too great to allow him to do such a thing like that. So it found a way to make him stay, without any hope of his heart to recover. His destiny had taken his love away from him.

And even if he was wrong, if destiny didn't strip her away from him, then it was worse. It meant that _he_ had failed to protect her. _He_ had failed to see the curse that plagued her and he failed to heal her. _He_, who had once ripped the very essence of life from Nimueh and gave it to his guardian, couldn't even heal a simple stab wound. Seeing her again when they took Camelot back from Morgana had been both a blessing and a curse. Knowing her to be so close but still out of his reach was almost too much for his weary soul to bear.

His hands unconsciously began to clench the sand under his palms, the very thought of his uselessness bringing forth the anger and the desperation he kept bottled up for all these years. Almost by instinct, he threw his head back as a powerful roar tore from his very soul. His roars were laced with his sorrow, his helplessness, his love for Freya and so much more. The sky began to fill with dark clouds as loud thunder could be seen lighting the darkened woods, their sound almost matching that of the dragon lord's roar. Those creatures of magic that were able to hear this lowered their heads in mourning for that of their kin. Deep into the forest, the Great Dragon lowered his head to show his respects as he understood the pain his brother was feeling through their bond. Near the outskirts of Camelot, the two knights stopped as their prince looked up into the darkened sky.

"Huh…" Arthur said offhandedly. "It looks like a big storm its coming." Shrugging, he continued to walk towards the city, realizing that a tear was falling from his eye and went to wipe it off. _'Strange,'_ he thought to himself, _'Why do I suddenly feel like crying?'_ Shaking his head to snap himself out of it, he was unaware of the look the other two shared. The two knights looked back towards where Merlin was as they quickly connected the strange change in weather to their mourning friend. Bowing their heads in respect, they quickly continued to walk to their homes as rain began to fall.

Back at the lake, Merlin had finished roaring into the sky; his throat ached from the abuse, but Merlin paid it no mind, too lost in his grief. The rain began to drench his slender frame as he let his own tears mix with the raindrops. He didn't know how much time had passed, but he kept his eyes upon the waters of the lake, not really caring how late it was. Off into the bushes, a cloaked figure emerged, clinging to the dark green fabric of her cloak in an effort to stop the rain from drenching her. As she walked forward, she stared at the heart wrenching scene of the younger man kneeling at the shore of the lake, her hand clenching her walking staff with every step she took towards him. Merlin felt her approach but his eyes still remained upon the water.

"Such sorrow…" He heard an elderly voice whisper as the woman finally approached him. "For whom do you weep, child?"

His eyes closed at her question as a new bout of tears threatened to fall anew. A few minutes passed as the lady seemed to be waiting patiently for his answer, and for some reason, Merlin felt the need to confide in this stranger. "I weep for my heart…" Merlin whimpered as he heard thunder clap in the distance. "Here, I laid to rest my true love. It has been years since then, and the pain still remains…" With this, Merlin's hand clenched the drenched fabric of his tunic in an effort to control his grief.

Suddenly, he felt a set of hands clasping his back, trying to comfort him.

"But surely this girl would want you to move on?" He heard her ask, and he couldn't help the mirthless laugh that escaped while he shook his head.

"I do not think my heart could belong to another." With this, the two fell silent once more.

"I see…" He heard her say after a few minutes. "For you, who weeps for his beloved and the very heavens answer to your pain…" Hearing this, Merlin finally turned his head and stare at the lady before him. He was right in his assumption of her age; she was an elderly woman with dark, curly chestnut hair, her eyes a mixture of milky white and dark blue and skin marked with wrinkles. Her hands were callused and trembled slightly, showing him that she used her hands quite often.

"You're a druid." He stated, knowing that she must be from the camps nearby. She merely nodded in response as her face was graced with a small smile.

"Indeed, child." As she said this, she took hold of his hands as she brought them to her own. "And if you allow it of me, could I help you erase your pain?" With her question, Merlin's eyes widened slightly at the prospect.

"How?" He asked somewhat desperately. "I do not think I can erase such pain without forgetting her. I don't want to forget her!"

But as she began to explain, a bout of coughing soon took hold of her weak frame. Merlin's hands immediately went to work and helped her to the ground while rubbing her back gently. Once it seemed that the worst was over, he stopped and faced her, his eyes brimming with concern.

"Are you ok?"

"Yes, I am fine." Seeing his concern, she merely gave him a small smile and a pat on his knee. "Such are the gifts of life once you get older..." Merlin smiled slightly at her joke as he helped her under a nearby tree. The two sat in silent companionship as the rain began to dissipate. Minutes passed before the woman found the right words to speak.

"I've lived a full life, child, and I know my time is close. But to be able to bring someone's loved one in my death; it would bring me such joy."

Suddenly understanding what she wanted to do, Merlin's eyes widened in horror as he shook his head. "No," he argued as he found himself standing up and pacing. "I can't possibly ask this of you."

"I have no family. No close friend to whom I am comfortable bestowing this gift." He heard her retort as she moved to stand as well. "My eyes may be old, but I've seen the love you have for this girl as clear as the water from this lake." She stated as she gestured to said lake. Merlin simply stared out into the water as his mind began to work. He could never allow someone to make such a sacrifice for him. For someone to give their life for him, he had already three people on his conscience, he was sure he wouldn't be able to bare another. Right?

"Please, grant me my last wish." She was asking him to do it. Almost pleading with him. She was willing to sacrifice her life to grant him what he wanted most in his life. To be able to hold his Freya, to hold her and never letting her go.

Ever so slowly, he turned around to face her, his eyes hollow but hopeful. "How would you even do it anyway?"

"With this…" As she said this, her hands reached around her neck to take off a ruby pendant. The jewel was held in a web of golden designs at the sides which Merlin recognized as markings of the Old Religion. But his gaze was captivated by it. The small jewel seemed to hum with powerful magic that Merlin couldn't take his eyes away from. "A relic that once belonged to the last priestess in my tribe who had the power of life and death." Merlin's head snapped upwards to stare at the woman with a look of longing, which she seemed to take as a good sign. She walked forward to him and placed the necklace on his neck while Merlin simply watched her with fresh tears in his eyes. A wrinkled hand was pressed on top of the jewel, sending a bout of shivers down the young warlock's spine.

"I can channel my life into it and you can give it to your love… " With this, she bowed briefly, letting the younger man decide. His pale azure eyes simply gazed the stone in awe. If such a stone could bring Freya back to him, why wouldn't he take this chance? He would never get this chance again, and the last few months had shown him the true weight of his destiny. He knew that the others lived happy and joyful lives without such burdens upon their shoulders. Arthur, his prince and future king, would face many trials to unite all the realms under one ruling. But Merlin knew that he would get there with the support of his friends. He had his knights to lend him strength, Guinevere to shield his heart, and he would forever rely on Merlin's knowledge remind him of what's right. But Merlin was no fool. He had seen how his friends were climbing in status, and he was afraid that they would forget about him. Even now, he felt even more isolated and alone within the walls of Camelot than ever before. He felt forgotten and alone…

He didn't want to be alone.

"…Is this truly your wish?"

Her face broke into a gentle smile as she nodded in reply. "Yes child." Merlin felt the tears fall from his eyes as his heart swelled with happiness at what was happening. Shaking his head to stop the tears, he approached the woman and took both her hands within his. "I don't know how to thank you…"

He saw her eyes softened as she cradled a hand on his cheek. "When I see you two reunited, that will be enough." As she said this, she gestured him to help her once more to the ground, which he quickly obeyed.

A sudden thought popped into his mind. "What's your name?" he asked innocently as he clasped her hands once more. "I would like to know the person who I will owe everything to…" He saw her smile once more before she answered.

"Generys."

He closed his eyes as he committed that name to memory. He thanked the Gods for sending this gentle and giving soul on his path, and he swore to forever protect Freya for the sacrifice this woman was about to make. After what seemed like hours, Merlin finally opened his eyes with a smile- his first true smile of the day.

"I'm Merlin."

She returned the smile and nodded in greeting before opening her hands in preparation. "Shall we begin then, Merlin?"

He closed his eyes for a second before taking a deep, cleansing breath. When he opened his eyes, he nodded somberly and prepared himself for what was about to happen. "…Yes."

With a nod, she then began to speak the ancient words as a flow of magic suddenly entered him. His eyes widened as his insides seemed to burn with need. Blue irises became pools of molten gold as he became overwhelmed with a deep desire and love for Freya.

_Freya…_

Her silky brown her that always reminded him on a strong oak…

_Freya…_

Her warm, brown eyes. So open. So kind. So willing to trust him to protect her…

_Freya…_

Her voice. Melodious and sweet…

_Freya…_

Her luscious lips. So tender and lovesome…

_Freya…_

As memories began to fly, he didn't notice the golden swirls of energy that surrounded him and Generys both in a cocoon of lights and warmth. As her chanting became more and more intense, he took no notice of the lake or the glowing figure that was rising from its depths. Abruptly, both they and the forest seemed to fall into a deep silence while Merlin's eyes remained closed while he tried to get his bearing.

"_…Merlin?_" His eyes snapped open immediately as he turned his head towards where the voice emanated from. His ears echoed with the thundering of his heart; he didn't dare believe what was happening. But there she was. Like all those years ago, she was wearing the same purple dress that he had stolen and given her in the tunnels. Her movements were shaky, as if she was trying to get control of her legs, but to him she couldn't look more beautiful of graceful.

"F-Freya…" He stammered in awe and disbelief before standing up and, in one fluid movement, rushing to her side, his hands aching to touch her but afraid that she would disappear.

"What happened? How am I here?" There it was again. Her voice. He could feel the warmth of her breath. See the shine in her eyes. He had seen her spirit before so he _knew_ this was her. Her hair. Her skin. Her voice. Her eyes. He saw how her chest rose and fell as she took another blessed breath into her body and he couldn't help but embrace her into his arms.

"It really **_is_** you!" He was holding her. He was truly holding her within his arms. His heart was bursting with elation and love. Love for her. His soul mate. He finally had his love back with him. He felt her slender hands snake around him as she returned his embrace.

"Yes, my love." Another jolt of love coursed through his body as he broke the embrace just enough to gaze into her eyes. She was smiling that shy smile that drove him absolutely crazy. Suddenly remembering they weren't alone, the turned his gaze backwards.

"Generys, it worked!" He shouted, his smile bigger than ever before, grasping Freya's hand and pulling her towards the body sitting on the floor. "Come, let me introduce you!"

As the pair got closer the smiling woman, Merlin began the introductions. "Freya, this woman gave her life to bring you back to me…" At this, Merlin saw her gentle eyes dull slightly at the news and a bout of anger rose within him. How dare she upset his Freya just a few minutes after she was brought to life? She said she wanted to see happiness and love in her face not that she would bring her sadness. But before he could say anything, he saw Freya bow slightly at the woman before taking both her hand within hers.

"Then I am forever in your debt, my lady." Hearing this, his anger completely evaporated. He knew Freya's heart was too big. She must feel indebted to the woman as he did. "For reuniting me and my love once again…" Once again, his heart flutters when she turns to gaze upon his with a look of love.

"It was my pleasure," Generys replied kindly, watching the gaze of love and affection upon the young warlock's face. She knew her job was complete.

"But what do we do now, Merlin?" questioned Freya as she turned to stare at Merlin with a hint of worry on her eyes.

Merlin's eyes narrowed slightly as he considered. No, of course not. He would never risk her within Camelot, but he didn't want to be separated from her any more than he was these last few years.

Before he could come up with something, he heard Generys approach them. "I could see to it that she is taken care of in my camp. It's not too far from here, and she can come meet you at whatever time you two wish."

His eyes softened once more as he once more realized that he owed this woman everything. "Just until I can think of a better solution," he stated, giving Freya a look of certainty and slight shame for not being able to offer her something better.

However, she cupped his face into her hands as he closed his eyes slightly, letting himself relish the feeling. "Of course, my love." He heard her say as she embraced him once more. He didn't mind that she didn't kiss him. He was ever so grateful just to have her with him, in his arms, alive and well.

A few minutes passed before she unfortunately broke their embrace. "Now you best return to your prince." He saw her smile lovingly at him, and he simply couldn't deny her.

"Right." Nodding in response, he grasped her hands within his as he brought them up to kiss them gently. "I'll meet you here tomorrow after twilight." Her smile seemed to grow at this and another bout of love shot through his body.

"I can't wait."

"I can't believe you're really here…" He whispered as a small portion of his pain made itself known to her but he quickly pushed it down. After all, there was no sense in suffering anymore when his angel was finally back with him. Turning around, he bowed down at the foot of the druid and took her hand in his. "Once again, words cannot express my gratitude for what you've done for me, Generys."

"I should thank you for allowing me to fulfill my last wish," she said as she patted his hands kindly. Taking this as his leave, he stood up and stared at her one last time.

"Until we meet again in Avalon…"

"Which I hope will not be for a long time," she retorted, making him laugh slightly. "Just remember to never take off the amulet. The spell will break if you do so, and I'm not certain that her soul would remain in this world."

Hearing this, Merlin immediately sobered and grasped the amulet protectively. "I shall never take it off." With one last look at them, Merlin turned around and began to trek back to Camelot. His spirits were at an all-time high now that his love was once again reunited with him. So much the he didn't think Arthur ordering him to muck the stables would bring him down. With a grin, he sauntered off into the night, leaving the two women behind.

Generys placed a hand upon Freya's shoulder as she gestured to her stoically. "You know what to do…"

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><p><strong><em>Reviews are always welcomed! :D<em>**


	2. Chapter 2

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing_**

_Me: *blinks* Is it just me or has the site gone into a Freya frenzy? I swear there have been new stories with her these past few weeks than the entire year!_

_Meh, anyway concerning the last chapter reviews…._

_8D_

_Oh my dear subjects, you have told me not to be so obvious with the plot! So don't think this is as straight forward as you think._

_*evil grin*_

_Enjoy!_

**_EDIT: I am making a calendar with my illustrations so if you like to help, please tell me what kind of drawings and/or situations would you like to see Merlin and the gang get themself into. Note that they can either be chibi style or regular. And don't be afraid to give me other fandom ideas to put in! I probably know it since I watch A LOT of tv. :D_**

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><p>As Merlin began woke from his slumber, his heart was heaving at the thought that what happened last night at the lake was nothing more than a wonderful but cruel dream. However, as his hands reached under his neckerchief, his look of devastation was replaced by pure elation when he felt the precious weight of the amulet that was the key to his beloved's survival. He immediately shot from his bed, and the covers rumpled around his ankle which made him trip slightly.<p>

Still in his working clothes from yesterday, having been exhausted by the waves of emotions from the night before, he quickly filled a pot with water to see his reflection. True enough, the ruby pendant still lay upon his chest comfortably as the golden webs that held the precious stone together glimmered in the sunlight. It was the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes upon, apart from his Freya of course. As he set himself to get ready for the day's work, he gently maneuvered himself out of his clothes and into fresh ones, careful not to take the pendant off. Once ready, he took great care in hiding the precious stone under his red neckerchief, knowing he couldn't be seen with something that looked more valuable than anything he could afford. As he opened his door, he noticed his guardian wasn't anywhere and came to the conclusion that he must've started rounds already. No matter, he would tell him the good news whenever he saw him.

He felt incredible. The heavy weight he felt each day walking around the castle seemed to be almost nonexistent now that Freya was back at his side. His heart burst with another bout of love for her, and he suddenly wondered if the remainder of their life would be time enough to show her how much he loved her. He would make sure to check his spell book to see if there was a way to prolong their time together. Even if they had all of creation, he didn't think it would be enough. As he made his way to the kitchens, he didn't notice the look of relief and elation the other servants gave him upon seeing him back to his usual, cheerful self. Even some of the knights and nobility could be seen giving him a small smile, filled with relief.

Arms now busy with his prince's breakfast, Merlin opened the door gingerly, his smile never leaving his face. Once inside, he lightly placed the tray on the table and went around the bed towards the curtains before stopping short to gaze at his friend. Merlin's eyes softened a bit as his smile became gentler.

How he wished he could share his news with him, to tell him that he too had someone very special to love and care for. How he wished to show him his other life, what he had risked and lost for the price of his safety. That he could see him completely instead of just one half. The charade of jester he had to play in order to avoid suspicion. But above else, to be able to bring his Freya back to Camelot without fear of persecution or death. To be able to provide his beloved with the things she deserved. A house, dresses, jewels and food. But before he could delve deeper into it, he shook his head and continued his path to the curtains. The time will come when Arthur will know of him. A time when he could stand beside him on his wedding day, a day that would come no sooner than his next intake of air. His hands grasped the soft fabric of the curtains and with a giant grin he threw them opened, letting the blinding sun enter the room and strike his friend right on his face.

"Good _**mooooorning,**_ Sire!" Merlin made sure to make his voice as boisterous and cheerful as he could, and the sight that greeted him was worth it. At the sudden disruption of the pleasant silence, Arthur jumped half an inch from his bed with a startled yelp, his feet getting tangled in his sheets as his body fell to the hard wood below. Once he finally got his bearing, his gaze fell upon that of his too cheerful and smug manservant.

"_**Mer**_lin?" Arthur couldn't help the surprised tone in his voice seeing his friend back to his usual annoyingly cheerful self.

Hearing his name, Merlin ginned even more. "Come on _**now**_!" He said as he continued to open the rest of the curtains in the room. "_**Up**_ an _**attem**_! It's _**too**_ beautiful a day to be lying down!"

Arthur still lay on the floor, astounded at the change in his friend. Just yesterday he couldn't gather the will to smile properly, and back at the forest, he had never seen Merlin act in such a solemn and defeated way. As he stood up, he took his time to examine his friend; he immediately noted that the glint of misery around his eyes that he wore yesterday was nowhere to be seen, instead there was an uplifting cheerfulness around him that was difficult not to smile at. Arthur couldn't understand; he knew Merlin was a terrible liar, and he knew for a fact that something was bothering him yesterday. Coming to a decision, Arthur stepped closer to the younger man and placed what he hoped was a comforting hand upon his skinny shoulder.

"Are you… ok?" He couldn't help but wince at how awkward it sounded coming from him. And apparently Merlin thought so too, since he gave him a look of confusion but his smile never wavered.

"Of course I'm ok! Why wouldn't I be?" Merlin asked happily as he turned around towards the opened window. "The sun is shining, the sky is clear and everything's right with the world!"

At this, Arthur merely raised an eyebrow and maintained an incredulous look at his friend. "Uhm… good. That's good."

"Now, you better eat up! You shouldn't leave your knights waiting for you!" Sighing quietly, Arthur simply turned around and sat down to eat, but his worry immediately seemed to disappeared as he stared at the contents of his breakfast.

"Is _**this**_ it?" Merlin heard Arthur shout from the table and it was all he could do not to burst into laughter. "There's barely anything on the _**plate**_!"

"Come on, Arthur, you know I only do this because I care!" Merlin chided playfully as he turned to face Arthur's glare. "I mean, we can't have the future king be wearing a belly greater than his own ego. Of course your ego is pretty big to begin with, so it's sort of hard to imagine."

"Merlin!"

"Alright, alright! Your ego is not as _**large**_ as it was the day we met, but I'm still serious about your weight!" At this point, Merlin couldn't help but give him a coy smile. "After all, we wouldn't want a certain future queen to think you unappealing now would we?" Seeing Arthur's temper beginning to rise, Merlin quickly began to walk backwards, his smile never leaving his face.

"Okay, so this is the part where you start piling up my chores, so I think I'll skip the part where you throw things at my head and just start with them." Arthur couldn't help but look abashed at his statement and Merlin felt accomplished to be capable of rendering the prince mute for once. "I think I'll start with your armor. No, maybe sharpening your sword would be better? No! I got it! I'll muck out the stables; I know that's your favorite!"

He had already opened the door when Arthur finally snapped into action and began to follow his manservant. "Wait a minute!" Arthur huffed as he managed to catch Merlin's arm but stopped short at the site of Guinevere in front of the two.

"Oh!" Gwen exclaimed in surprise before giving the two of them a welcoming smile. "Good morning, Merlin. Arthur." Arthur's face broke into a smile as he let her voice envelope him and was about to greet her in return when a blur of brown and red zoomed pass him and towards her.

"Gwen!" Merlin exclaimed cheerfully as he stepped forward to embrace his friend in a tight hug. As soon as he felt her feet left the ground, he began to spin her around as he felt himself laugh in happiness. He didn't seem to hear the small yelp that Gwen gave out when he picked her up.

"M-Merlin! What are you-" She stuttered in surprise at the amount of affection and cheerfulness her friend seemed to have this morning. Thankfully, Arthur stepped forward before Merlin could make her even dizzier than she was getting.

"Put her down, you idiot!" Arthur bellowed at his manservant as he forcefully tried to separate the two, but Merlin still held Gwen's shoulders and gave her a big smile.

"It's so good to see you! I hope you're having as great a day as I am!"

"I am," Gwen replied politely as she gestured to her shoulders. "But could you please let me go?"

Merlin simply blinked as he finally seemed to realize what he had just done. "Oh, right," he said sheepishly as he let her go. Immediately, Arthur went to her side and embraced her in a half possessive hug. "Anyway, I'll guess I'll see you both after I finish my chores!" And with this, the couple saw the cheerful servant turn around and began walking forwards with a hop in his step.

"Well, someone's happy today," Gwen said in amusement as she felt Arthur shift beside her.

"It's kind of creepy, if you ask me."

"Oh come on," she chided playfully as she turned to face him, placing a hand on his chiseled chin, her eyes turning softer. "I know you're glad he's back to his usual self. He was so depressed yesterday."

"Well yes, but now it's like he's _**too**_ like himself."

Gwen couldn't help but agree with him in that statement, but she could feel waves of a very familiar emotion radiating from him. "He probably just finally realized that half the serving girls in the castle fancied him and took a chance."

"Yeah probably…" But Arthur stopped nodding mid-way as her statement finally sunk in. "Wait _**what**_?"

"It's been like that ever since he first got here," she said with laughter in her eyes as she tried not to laugh at his expression. "Frankly, I'm surprise that it took him this long to figure it out."

"Please, tell me you're joking." Arthur couldn't process the fact that half his serving staff viewed his friend as '_handsome_'.

Not being able to resist the chance to aggravate him slightly Gwen simply placed two fingers under her chin and began to appear pensive. "There was actually a time when even I…"

Arthur's eyes widened exponentially at this, and he placed both hands over his eyes, trying to stop the images that were popping up in his mind. "Okay. I did _**not**_ need to hear that!"

"It was just briefly, mind you! Now he's more like my goofy big brother! Honest!" Gwen finally took pity on him.

Arthur merely gazed at her in exasperation; he knew she was joking of course, but he also knew that there was some truth to her previous statement. "Yeah, I think there are a _**few**_ more chores that I need to inform _**Mer**_lin about."

* * *

><p>"Do you think Merlin's feeling better today?" Lancelot heard Gwaine ask beside him as they began to pack their weapons after the day's training. Lancelot was surprised at how meek and unsure the question sounded from the confident and suave knight, so he merely gave him a pointed look to let him continue.<p>

"I wanted to see if he would allow me to take some flowers to his lake… " Gwaine said softly as his eyes were trained on the floor. "Whoever he was mourning for, she must've been pretty special for him. He was in so much pain…" Lancelot's eyes widened at this; he often forgot how loyal and protective Gwaine was towards Merlin. Seeing the almost perpetually cheerful man so solemn and so clearly in pain allowed them to see the other side of Merlin, one that he desperately tried to hide from others. That Gwaine wanting to do something nice for Merlin brought a smile to Lancelot's face.

Sitting right beside him, Lancelot placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "That is a wonderful idea, Gwaine. Hopefully, once we see him today he will be well enough for us to ask."

At this, Gwaine in returned smiled and the two began to walk towards the lower town. He could always count on Lancelot to keep him calm in situations like this, and he took his advice to heart since he had known Merlin long before him. But as the two made their way through town, Gwaine heard a cheerful tune whistling in the air and was surprised at the source.

"Uhh… I think he is…" Noting the confused look of the other knight, Gwaine merely pointed at the stables as Lancelot's gaze fell upon the familiar manservant mucking them out. As the two approached the man, they were confounded to see him act in such an uplifted and cheerful way. They were obviously expecting to see him put up a mask for the others, but to see him like this after last night?

Something wasn't right.

"Merlin?" Lancelot half called half questioned at the raiven haired man before them, and Merlin immediately turned around at his name. His already grinning face broke out into a full blown smile at the sight of the two, which made them worry even more.

"Oh!" Merlin exclaimed. "Good morning, Gwaine! Lancelot! I hope you've both had as wonderful a morning as I!"

At this, the two knights shared a pointed look and step toward the warlock. "Are you alright, Merlin?" Lancelot asked, but Merlin simply gave him a confused look, his smile remaining strong, so Gwaine tried to be more forward.

"You seem… happy."

"And what is so wrong with me being happy?" Merlin questioned the two knights, but he appeared to remember what was happening and finally realized what was wrong. "Oh! That's right! I haven't told you yet!"

"Told us what?" At this, Merlin looked discreetly at their surroundings to make sure no one would overhear their talk. Feeling comfortable, he pulled the two knights inside the stables and closed the doors before turning around and beginning to explain.

"Last night, when you left me at the lake, a druid elder approached me," he began. "She… sort of sensed when I was mourning…"

Their eyes widened in surprise at the fact that someone felt him grieve. "She did?"

"But that is of no concern now!" Merlin exclaimed as his grin grew almost to the point that it had to be painful to maintain. "She brought her back!"

"Merlin, mate, you're not making any sense," Gwaine stated, hoping to make Merlin explain the situation. "Brought who back?"

"Freya!" The two knights noticed how his eyes seemed to shine at the very mention of her and how his voice treated her name with reverence. "The woman for whom I was mourning. The elder druid sacrificed her life to grant me this miracle." He unconsciously placed a hand over his neckerchief where the pendant was supposed to be, and his eye became slightly dull for a second.

"She must've perished this morning... I owe her so much and now I will never be able to repay her…" However, as quick as it had happened, his eyes morphed back into the cheerful pools of happiness that they had been before. "But now I have Freya back! I shall never allow something like what happened last time to take her away from my side again!"

At his outburst, the two knights simply stood back stunned. They didn't understand what had happened, but the way that Merlin was acting and the too opportunistic act of someone bringing Merlin's loved one back from the dead was too much of a coincidence. They both knew that they needed to ask carefully, knowing full well what Merlin was capable of doing to defend his loved ones.

Lancelot gently stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder hoping to convey his thoughts. "Merlin, are you certain that…" He was unable to finish the sentence as the happy look of Merlin's face dissolved, leaving confusion and a bit of anger in its place.

Merlin didn't understand. Why where they so eager to disprove the miracle that had happened to him? They should be happy for him! Immediately, Merlin felt the urgent need to defend Freya from this two, so he shrugged Lancelot's hand off his shoulder and gazed at the two steadily. "I can assure you…" Merlin began with a dangerous voice that left the two knights still in their spots. "She is as real and alive as you or I. She breathes the same air as me, occupies the same space as me, and her mere presence graces the very ground she walks on."

As they saw him take a step forward they couldn't help but take a step back, not knowing how to deal with this side of their friend. "So believe me. She. Is. _**Real**_."

Having fallen into an uncomfortable bout of silence, Gwaine took this as his cue and step forward showing his biggest grin. "We're happy for you, mate! Aren't we Lance?"

At this, Lancelot immediately caught up with his friend and gave Merlin an apologetic but happy smile. "Yes. I'm glad you two were finally reunited." Instantly Merlin's whole demeanor changed with their words, but he didn't want to risk getting any more upset with people's reactions. Perhaps it was a good thing that he hadn't told Gaius; he certainly wasn't going to tell him now that's for sure.

"Thank you." As he said this, Merlin seemed to realize the time and began to walk towards the door. "I have to go! The prat has been unusually snippy today; I don't think he's going to run out of chores for the next few centuries!" Merlin explained with a slight laugh at the end, leaving the two to smile after his retreating form.

"Well, I'm sure you'll put him in his place soon enough!" Merlin's laugh grew louder at this and gave the rebellious knight a nod in response, leaving the two alone. As soon as he was out of hearing range, the two let their smiles fall and once they turned to look at each other they saw the same level of concern.

"Do you think it was just too much of a coincidence that somebody sacrificed themselves to bring this Freya back from the dead?" Gwaine asked straightforwardly, his gut telling him that something was off.

"I'm not sure…" Lancelot murmured as his eyes turned back to the castle where their young warlock was heading. "The few moments that I've spoken to Gaius about Merlin, he has spoken about him with something akin to pride, or awe. He says that Merlin is to the Druids as Arthur is Camelot. Perhaps seeing him as devastated as he was yesterday drove the elder to help ease his heart..."

"In my travels I've heard some of their prophesies. The Druids seem to see him as their savior," Gwaine informed him, but before they could dwell too much into this, Lancelot shook his head and turned to the other knight.

"We're probably worrying too much. Maybe it's nothing. Maybe destiny finally decided to allow our friend a modicum of happiness." As he said this, Lancelot's gaze turned once more upon the castle, becoming slightly softer. "Lord knows he deserves it…" Gwaine could only nod in reply, knowing full well how true that statement was.

"Still," Lancelot continued, "let's keep an eye on him just in case. We mustn't overlook an act of magic even when it was done in the presence of Merlin. Having one's loved one come back from the dead would certainly change one's perceptions."

Noting the steeliness in Gwaine's eyes, Lancelot nodded in acknowledgement and patted his shoulder as goodbye before turning around and walking east. Meanwhile, Gwaine simply stared at the castle concernedly. "Oh my friend, I pray to the Gods that there isn't anything more to this… For your sake…"

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><p><em>Me: *blinks inocently* What? They are at least suspicious of what happened!<em>

_And again, I don't want anyone stating the fact that Merlin and Gwaine seemed OCC. There is a reason! REASON I SAY!_

_Until next time!_


	3. Chapter 3

**_Disclaimer: I own nothing_**

_Me: *smilling* Do you guys know how many synonyms for happy there are? A **heck** of a lot more than I expected I'll tell you that! But in any case, here's the next chapter. I know its short but trust me, this is the best I could write without giving too much information!_

_:D_

_I am so **PROUD** of you, my readers! Some of you are starting to look in the right direction concerning the story! Keep guessing! I know you can do it! Just remember how I write, I am **NEVER** one to go with the conventional or obvious route!_

_Enjoy!_

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><p>That night, as soon as Arthur had dismissed him and Gaius had no need for him, Merlin immediately set out into the forest at a run, anxious to meet his beloved once more. Through the entire day there wasn't a moment that had passed when he hadn't been thinking of her. How very alive she was, waiting for the shadows to encompass the earth so that he could join her for the few hours that he could. He could feel his heart trying to burst out of his ribcage at the exultant and intoxicated feeling of her mystifying eyes meeting his. The feel of her soft skin under his hands, the way her breath warmed his neck as they hugged, all this and so much more had his mind focusing on one and on one thing only.<p>

Freya.

Feet moved faster and faster as Merlin noticed he was that much closer to their lake. A lake that for so many years had been a symbol of despair and grief was now holy ground, for it had been witness to his beloved's return from the dead. As soon as he got through the bushes and stepped in the clearing, his eyes zeroed in on the lone figure perched upon the hollowed out trunks on the ground. Freya was wearing a simple red gown, much like the ones Gwen used to wear when she was a maid; her hair was picked up into a bun with a few loose strands hanging at the side, framing her beautiful face. As soon as their eyes met his, her face broke into a smile that almost brought him to his knees.

The two met at the center of the clearing as Merlin embraced her small frame within his. He breathed in her scent and found himself getting lost in it. She smelled like lilacs, the rain and something so uniquely **_her_** that he was worried that his heart would leave bruises in her body from the way he felt it jump from his chest. They never truly separated from each other as the two began to walk together, Merlin's hand enveloping her shoulders and her soft arm snaking around his hip.

As they walked, the two began to talk about their lives. Seeing how uncomfortable she was in speaking more of her past, Merlin stepped forward and began telling her of his past. He told her of his childhood, how he sometimes drove his mother mad with the bouts of magic he did inside the house. How he met Will who ended up discovering his magic. Eventually, he realized that he had been talking with her almost to the break of dawn, and he felt an ache in his heart for two reasons. One, because it meant that he had to go back to Camelot soon, and the other because he had kept her from suitable rest. She must've been exhausted. As they made their way back to their lake, Merlin heard a loud rumble coming from the beautiful woman at his side and immediately saw what was happening. He immediately turned around to face her and gave her a brilliant smile, holding one finger in the air.

"Oh! Here, let me!" At her confused but amused look, Merlin began to concentrate on the palm of his hand and as he opened it, a fresh and ripe strawberry was held within. As her hands went to grab it, he gave her a shy smirk.

"I've been practicing since that time on the cave system under Camelot… I know how you love them."

"Thank you, Merlin," Freya simply smiled in delight as she brought the fruit to her lips to take a bite.

"But," Merlin continued as he bowed down before her. As he stood back up, she noticed the red rose that he now held in his stretched out hand towards her. As she took it meekly, Merlin took this as his chance and brought them closer together, their lips about to touch. "that doesn't mean you won't get any more roses from me." With this, their lips met in a slow coil of emotions as Merlin felt himself melt against her. Sooner than he wished, Freya broke their kiss and reminded him of his duties, so he reluctantly let her go and began his trek back to Camelot.

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><p>Their second night she asked him to continue on with his story, and so he did. He began to tell her how he was sent to Camelot and found out about the destiny he shared with Arthur and all the adventures he underwent from there on. He let himself properly mourn for those he had lost through the years, for his innocence and naivety as tears covered her shoulders. The night passed on, and it was once again time for them to part ways. Merlin's heart was heavy with grief at the thought of leaving his love alone one more day. So it was with a mind already set into his mission that he knew what he had to do. As the next day came, Merlin managed to find the silver bracelet that Gaius gave him for his birthday a few years back and, with a newfound giddiness, he waited for the night to fall.<p>

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><p>"Are you ok, Merlin?" He heard Freya's melodious voice ask beside him, and he immediately turned to look at her.<p>

"What? Why do you say that?" He asked nervously as his fingers played with the bracelet in his pocket. He felt her hand on his shoulder as her eyes became concerned.

"You're awfully quiet."

"Am I?"

"And you're sweating."

Shaky hands swept his brow as he noticed with surprise the amount of sweat that had gathered there. Although it shouldn't surprise him. After all, what he was about to do was more terrifying than any sorcerer or monster he has faced before.

Warm chocolate eyes focused on his as she brought his face to hers. "Merlin, is everything alright back in Camelot?"

"Everything's fine. Perfect, even." As he said this, Merlin gathered her hands into his and kissed them softly while giving her a gentle smile. "I'm just thinking of doing something, that's all, love."

Knowing this, Freya simply gave him a relieved nod and they continued to walk for a few minutes before she turned to him and gave him a polite smile. "Can I know what you are thinking about?"

"Actually," Merlin replied, smiling. "I was thinking of you…" At this, Merlin simply leaned forward and placed a gentle hand upon her cheek. He felt another jolt of love flow into his body as he looked at her under the moonlight. She was beautiful.

"Let's sit down." Merlin led her towards the few hollow logs that were strewn near the lake. A few minutes passed in silence before he felt Freya's hand upon his shaking ones. The gesture gave him the courage to continue, and he turned to look at her lovingly.

"Freya," he began, "the first time that I laid my eyes upon yours, I didn't see a monster in a cage. I didn't see an evil druid bent on the destruction of Camelot. All I saw was a gentle woman who needed help.

"Once we were in the tunnels, I was stunned by the fact that you thought you didn't deserved to be saved." Once again, Merlin placed a hand upon her cheek and was once again overcome with love for the woman before him. "An angel such as yourself wanting to die, it nearly broke my heart.

"I was elated when I showed you my magic. How your eyes seemed to sparkle by the display instead of cowering away from it. That's when I first realized that I had feelings for you.

"It didn't matter to me when I discovered you were cursed. I knew that I would take you away from Camelot and lift the curse from you." At this, Merlin's eyes dulled as he remembered what happened next. "But then, Arthur struck you in your bestial form, and I wasn't able to heal you. He unknowingly stripped me away from our future together…" But before he continued with those dark thoughts, he shook his head and gazed at her again lovingly.

"But no more," he swore as he stood from his seat to stand before her. "Freya, I don't want to spend another day without you by my side. I will protect you as feverously and viciously as I have protected Arthur and his kingdom. I will provide you with whatever you may wish." At this moment, he took out the bracelet, and his eyes turned golden. The silver morphed and melded against his hand as the bracelet began to take the form of a ring. The silver band held an intricate design of roses etched all around. He raised his eyes and saw that Freya had both hands upon her mouth in either shock or amazement. Determined and hopeful, Merlin knelt down before her and offered her the ring.

"Would you do me the honor of marrying me?"

A few painstakingly long seconds passed before he heard Freya reply, her eye never leaving his.

"Oh Merlin…" And it was a few more seconds before he saw her nodding yes in reply. At this, he immediately stood up and got closer to her.

"Yes?" At his question she merely laughed and nodded more surely. "Yes!" Merlin shouted to the heavens at her response as he placed the ring on her fingers. Once the ring was perched upon her hand, he gathered both her hands and brought them up to kiss them.

"Oh, my love, you have made me the happiest man alive!" He stated cheerfully. "Know that as long as you are the first thing I see when I wake up and the last thing I see when I go to sleep, I will be happy for the rest of my life!" Not being able to contain himself any longer, he gathered her into a hug as he laughed with mirth and anticipation. She said yes. He was going to marry the most beautiful woman on this earth and she chose _him_ to be her husband. He would protect her from anything and anyone who dare try to lay a finger on her. He would provide for her whatever she desired of him. She would care for and love her for the rest of creations.

"My Freya…" He whispered softly as the two continued to embrace as he felt Freya's hand clutch harder to him.

"My Merlin…"

* * *

><p><em>Me: *grinning* I wonder what the others will think of their little goofy Merlin when he tells them the good news!<em>

_Oh but in a completely different subject. Have you noticed how… **YOUNG** Arthur looks like in season 1 compared to right now? And I don't mean age wise… well he **IS** older now… But I mean experience wise! Those with experience have a certain look about them, a certain wisdom which shows on their face… I don't know if it's just me but just watch the pilot episode and tell me if I'm wrong!_


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**_

_Me: *grinning like an idiot* Hello my wonderful readers! The scars in my eyes have finally healed enough for me to be able to finally see without any fuzziness around the edges and finish this chapter. The surgery went fine thank the Gods and in about 6 months the scar tissue should be completely healed!_

_Me: *spins around* I'm just so happy to be glassless! *mutters* however, since I've had them for most of my life I now find myself raising and fixing a pair of imaginary glasses upon my nose… Annoying little quirk I managed to gain…_

_In any case my computer time will be limited and updates will be even __**longer**__ than they are now sooooo…. *bows* My apologies my dear kingdom._

_Merlin: *grinning like a fool and placing his arms around me* Hey, look on the bright side! _

_Me: *weary eyed* And that would be?_

_Merlin: You'll have time to rest!_

_Me: *glares* You know very well I won't be able to rest until after the convention… and the fact that you've popped up in my head while I was in remission didn't help either._

_Merlin: *grinning and addressing the readers* You will __**all **__benefit from this! Since she was practically sightless the first 2 weeks after her surgery, she now has up to 5 new premises to write about us!_

_Arthur: *whispers* And why are __**you **__so damned __**happy **__about that? She practically tortures you in every one!_

_Merlin: *smiles mischievously* The fact that she receives almost as much punishment from her people and her knights when she takes too long brings a sort of justice to the whole thing. _

_Arthur: *blinks* _

_Merlin: Plus her villagers are __**very **__possessive of us. *grins wider* __**Me **__in particular!_

_Me: *mutters* Which I don't get… *looks over shoulder at his puppy eyes and mop hair* *turns around and shakes head* __**NOT **__at __**all**__!_

_Enjoy!_

* * *

><p>As the next day arrived, Merlin had gone to collect the rest of the Knights of the Round Table to a conference at the meeting hall per his request. Merlin found it funny that Arthur was trying to fight the name Gwaine gave the knights when deep down he found it quite appropriate. Arthur would never concede to admitting Gwaine had a good idea. However, Merlin continued with his task and<p>

Inside the meeting hall, the stone round table which Arthur had brought a month after they retook the kingdom was perched imposingly in the middle of the room. Once the guards left the room, the knights quickly took their place around the table while Merlin took his place at Arthur's right and Guinevere took his left. With a brief smile of familiarity, Arthur began addressing them in the matters of the court.

While Arthur began speaking, Merlin couldn't help but get lost in his thoughts, and idiotic grin never leaving his face at the events of last night. He still couldn't believe it. She agreed to marry him! Him! A mere servant of the court. What could he possibly offer such a wonderful and ethereal angel? But he knew that the least he will do is make this so call destiny of his come true. She at least deserves to walk free of worry for her life. Merlin gave a deep sigh of content and let his eyes close as he began to imagine how their life would be after their wedding. How he would wake up and marvel at her beauty, thanking all the Gods for returning her back to him. The knights only watched in amusement as they noticed the faraway look Merlin had on his face, essentially ignoring everything their regent prince was saying and him none the wiser.

"Alright then, I believe that will be all for today." Hearing Arthur say this snapped Merlin from his daydream and he immediately shot out of his chair, not believing himself that he almost forgot to tell them.

"_**Wait**_!" They heard Merlin shout frantically even before they began to stand up. Curious and concerned eyes shifted towards the raven haired man, before they heard Arthur grumble.

"What is it Merlin?" Completely ignoring the annoyed tone in his voice, Merlin simply began to pace back and forth, one hand fondling the hidden amulet beneath his neckerchief. Immediately, a wave of calm filled his insides and he managed to gain enough courage to begin.

"I need to tell you all something…" But before he could continue, his worry began to surface once again and he continued to pace.

"Well," They heard him continue. "actually I would also like to ask you all something but you don't have to if you don't want or don't have the time. I mean, your knights so of course you're going to be busy at training and other knightly things and- -"

"_**Mer**_lin!" Merlin heard Arthur say his name in that certain way that told him he was babbling. He stopped and saw that everyone was giving him amused but worried look. As his eyes fell on his prince, Arthur simply rolled his eyes and gestured with a hand. "Get on with it!"

Not being able to contain his enthusiasm and elation any longer, Merlin's face broke into a giant grin and shouted to the people in the room.

"She said yes!" The others were waiting for him to explain but Merlin simply stood there smiling and almost wanting to jump with joy but all besides Lancelot didn't seem to understand what he was saying. Worried, Gwen stood from her chair and approached him placing a petite hand upon his lanky shoulders.

"Merlin, you aren't making any sense." She said with a brief slime at his ramblings but underneath he could see that she was worried for him. "Have you had any rest? You look awfully pale." His grin increased as he patted her hand.

"I'm fine Gwen. Better than fine really!" He stated as his eyes landed on Lancelot and Gwaine. "And I completely forgot that most of you don't know who I'm talking about." He finished sheepishly as he stared out into the air with a look of pure bliss and euphoria that made them worry for a second until Merlin finally snapped out of it and gave them the biggest grin that they've ever seen on his face.

"I asked Freya to marry me last night and she said yes!" At this, the entire meeting hall fell into stunned silence, not really noticing the way Merlin's hand reached towards his neck and embraced the gem hidden from the rest. However, only a few second passed before all the knights and Gwen approached him with great smiles and words of praise and congratulations.

Elyan and Leon both patted his shoulders and gave words of encouragements and congratulations as Percival grabbed him from behind and pulled him in for a hug. He had a smile that rivaled that of Merlin as he bellowed with laughter of joy at the happiness of his surrogated little brother. Gwaine simply rescued him from Percival's clutches only to have him taken away from him and into the hands of Guinevere and Lancelot. Gwen simply gave him a big hug and started asking many questions about his bride to be and how he came to be with her while Lancelot simply stood behind her and sent him a look of happiness for him. Once again, Gwaine managed to drag Merlin towards him and patted his back proudly, the merry drunk happy to see his friend gain some sense of happiness for all that he has done for them. Hooking his arm around his neck, Gwaine merrily began announcing loudly to the others.

"That's great mate!" He announced with a sly grin upon his face. "This calls for a celebration!" The others simply scoffed at the mischievous look on his face but still happy for their young friend news. However, there was still one stunned royal that had yet to move after Merlin's announcements.

Arthur's mind was reeling at the news. Not because he didn't wish the younger man happiness. But the soul fact that he hadn't _**known**_. He wasn't aware that his manservant had found someone to love or that he was dating. That Arthur hadn't been privy of the man's happiness that was a part of his life was a great blow to his heart. He knew he sometimes treated Merlin wrongly and sometimes even forcefully but he honestly thought that he had made a connection with the younger man. Was he not worthy of Merlin's trust? It seems to him that the more time passed, he finds himself even more apart from his friendship with the raven-haired man. The fact that a few nights ago he had witness what seemed to be another side of Merlin and that he would've remained oblivious if he hadn't followed his knights was another blow to his heart.

But he couldn't find himself to blame him. After all, even if Merlin has always treated him like any regular bloke his rank and title would always set him apart from others. Why would he expect Merlin to be any differently? But however chasm it is in front of them preventing Merlin from trusting him, Arthur would make sure to make an effort to show him he cares for him. His eyes became slightly softer as he approached the group. The others became silent as they noticed Merlin staring at their prince. The two men simply faced one another as Arthur placed a congratulatory hand upon Merlin's shoulder and gave him a great smile.

"I say this merits a trip to the pub then." He noticed Merlin's eyes widened slightly at his offer as behind them; Arthur could've sworn he saw Gwaine swoon at the prospect of him buying. Immediately however, Merlin snapped out of his stupor and returned the smile tenfold.

"Thank you."

* * *

><p>"I honestly don't know why I keep you Merlin…" Arthur grumbled with annoyance as he once again placed his hands around the body beside him to keep guiding it to his room. When he had announced his little celebration for his friend, he knew it was a bad idea to continue when he saw Gwaine with <em><strong>that<strong>_ look. When they got to the tavern, Gwaine announced their plans for celebration, quite loudly and cheerful, while he dragged the man of honor to a nearby table with the rest just following behind snickering at the look of worry on the younger man's face. As the night continued and more tankards of mead made their way to their table, the group found out how… _**lose**_ their young friend could become when he drank enough. Another thing that had surprised them was the amount of mead Merlin had been able to drink before beginning to lose his faculties.

Even Gwaine was impressed!

As they got through the night, they had asked countless questions about the mysterious girl and Merlin was all too happy to respond. They got to see Merlin dance over the tables, sing an array of songs with a surprisingly soft voice but most importantly, they saw him relax. Those who weren't privy to the man's deepest secret were stunned to realize the mask their young friend puts up in front of others and felt slightly ashamed to not have figured it out sooner. But as the moon began it's decent and make way to the new morning, Arthur had deemed the celebrations over. When he said that, all eyes fell upon the giggling figure of the raven haired man as his eyes stared into his mead with a look of love and his hand clenched his neckerchief slightly. Knowing that Merlin was in no condition to walk on his own, Arthur simply sighed and announced that he would help Merlin to his chambers. He glared at the group when faced with the looks of surprise and astonishment on the others at his proposition. Rolling his eyes, he stepped forward and began to coax the drunken servant into submission, earning a few snickers when said servant gave their prince a… loving embrace.

Now, the Prince Regent of Camelot found himself dragging the sluggish frame of his manservant through the coble stone streets. While he wonder how on earth did he end up with such a task, said servant keep giggling and mumbling lyrics as the two made their way back inside the castle.

"Beacus we'rrr friends yo silly head!"

"Right." Arthur stated bluntly as he once again got ahold of his friend when he tried to slider out of his grasp. "Is this the same friend who didn't know you were in love with this Freya?" He hoped that Merlin didn't notice the sound of defeat and jealousy in his voice but the prince saw that the airy smile on Merlin's face fell anyway.

"M sssorry…" Merlin slurred "It's compl- compliqu-" Merlin's eyes narrowed in confusion as he tried to say the word but in the end he decided to change it. "It was hard to talk 'bout her…." Hearing his saddened voice and now knowing that Freya had to serve a family in a kingdom on the far north to pay for her family's debt brought Arthur back to thinking about the raven-haired man under his arms. Knowing that his friend had to go without seeing the one he loves for almost four years, not knowing if she was safe or not, if she was healthy or happy, he was surprised that Merlin didn't just leave everything in Camelot and follow her. But for some miracle, Merlin stayed at his side. Out of loyalty or that misplaced sense of sacrifice the boy had for him Merlin had stayed. Arthur couldn't imagine being that far appar for that long from his Guineviere.

He gave thanks to every God in the heaves for allowing the girl to pay the lord her family owed to and gotten back to Camelot to Merlin.

"I know… I'm sorry you two had to go through that." Arthur answered as he tried to comfort his friend. "But you know… I am here, if you, want to talk about things that bother you..." He winced at the awkwardness of his statement. He swore to himself that he was going to try harder to make Merlin trust him but he was once again surprised when Merlin's face broke into a big grin. They _really_ shoudn't have let Merlin drink so much...

"I'ts ok! I _**wanted** _to tell you." Merlin replied as he tried once again to embrace the prince into a hug. Arthur's eye widened in horror and thankfully was fast enough to pull Merlin away from him without them falling to the floor. Once he got them stable again, Arthur simply glared at him half-heartedly while Merlin gave him his goofiest grin. "We'rrr friends after all!" Arthur's eyes widened at the declaration and even though Merlin probably wouldn't remember the event's from the night, it warmth his heart to heart such thing coming from him. Once they continued on their way, Arthur noticed that they were almost half way to Gaius's chambers.

"I suppose you're right." He said with a brief smile. "I **_certainly_ **wouldn't be carrying your drunken arse back to your chambers if I wasn't!"

"Then you'll doooouit?" Arthur tried to keep up with his friend's train of thought but it was hard enough when he wasn't drunk.

"Do what?" Arthur asked with curiosity before noticing that the younger man was beginning to fall into unconsciousness. "_**Mer**_lin don't you _**dare**_ fall asleep now!" Shaking the slender frame harshly, Arthur was gave a sigh of relief when he saw pale eyes widened in surprised at his rude awakening. However, azure eyes soon found themselves to Arthurs own and he was surprised to find them almost sober in their resolve.

"Would you…" Merlin began to ask and Arthur became more attentive at his tone. He had started to listen subconsciously whenever he heard Merlin speak in that tone of voice, it usually lead to him being completly serious. "be my Groomsman?"

Arthur's eyes widened, stunned to hear this from the younger man and he felt his breath leave his body.

"M-me?" Merlin simply rolled his eyes at the stutter and poked him on his chest. "Yesh, _**you**_! Who elsss would I ask?"

"What about Gwaine or Lancelot?" Arthur wasn't so sure that Merlin was aware what he was asking him for, perhaps the mead got to his head. But when Merlin almost fell when he rolled his eyes at his question he began to feel hope.

"Nu offens to Gwein but I dun want him forgeing the rings in a pub…" Merlin explained as Arthur try to get a better grip on him. "and it just wouldt feel right with Lance at my side. They bouth are my very dear friends, my bruthers in **mischief** and **protection**." Merlin replied with a drunken smile as he raised his voice at the last part but then shifted slightly so he could pat his stunned Prince's cheek as a show of affection.

"Prat. You'rr my _**best **_friend!" Hearing this, Arthur almost lost his grip on the younger man, bringing both of them to the ground. Grumbling in annoyance about his hurt back, his head quickly turned to stare at Merlin head on, not really believing what he had heard. Merlin seemed to realize his surprise and hesitation and simply sent him a mock glare. "However weird and unbelievable that sounds like, the'res a bond between uss…" As he continued, his voice began to get louder and louder as well as uttering a few giggles in between. "My _**obliviusss** _destiny! The other **half** of my coin!"

"Alright, I need to get you to bed." Said Arthur while rolling his eyes at the drunken antics of his friend. But as he coninued to drag his friend, he coudn't help but smile at his friend's words. He had always felt something between them. And unbreakable bond that seemed to only get stronger with each passing day. Someday's it even surprised him that it even surparsed the bond of brothers he felt for his knights. He has never being able to ascertained what the younger man trully meant to him, whether it be best friend, brother or even something more. But try as he might, he sometimes thought he would never figure out who 'Merlin' was.

A few minutes passed before they found themselves in front of Gaius's chambers and a giggling servant was trying as hard as he could not to giggle to what was most likely a slumbering Gaius. As Arthur opened the door, he sent a glare at the giggling man beside him not wanting to be discovered by the physician. He still had nightmares about the one time he had to face the physicians wrath.

"Shut up **_dollop_**-head!" As Merlin heard his prince whisper this harshly, he decided to put him straight.

"Oi! Th's **_my_ **word!" Arthur merely resorted in clamping a hand over Merlin's mouth and continued to walk to his room, expertly evading the sleeping elder in the cot and managing to keep the drunken idiot's hands from slapping away the many potions to the floor. Once inside, Arthur was quick to place his friend none too gently upon his bed and straightened his aching back. Seeing Merlin sprawled on his bed and wasn't going to move any time soon, Arthur had a look of brotherly affection at the sight and simply walked forward and began to take off his shoes and jacket. As he was doing this, he heard the younger man speak.

"So," Arthur heard him utter slightly sheepish as he fought down slumber. "will you do it?" Arthur's eyes softened once more to hear that his friend really wanted him by his side in such a special occasion.

"Of course I will…" With this, Merlin seemed content and immediately fell asleep. Arthur couldn't help the small laugh that fell from his mouth and simply shook his head. He could only imagine the kind of hangover he would have in the morning. But as he went to close the door he once again felt the warmth of Merlin's friendship envelop his heart. He would do his friend proud on the altar. He would finally have the chance of being there for Merlin as much as he had for him all these years. And he would hopefully gain the right to know all of Merlin's secrets. If not today, or a week or a year from this night, Arthur vowed to be worthy of being called his best friend, enough that Merlin would feel comfortable in confiding in him all his secrets.

"I promise you, old friend..." Arthur whispered into the room as he closed the door and made his way to his chambers "I will show I can be worthy of your trust."

* * *

><p><em>Me: *Grins evilly* Sooooo…. Who else likes a drunken warlock? Cuz <em>_**I **__sure do! :D_

_I had so much fun writing Merlin drunk! And a caring Arthur to drag said warlock to his room even MORE!_

_I hope I didn't miss anything. My Beta is busy and since she's said I've improved a lot I want to try going solo!_

_Until next time my friends!_


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